Minnesota mayor charged with theft from vets fund

ELLENDALE, Minn. — The mayor of a southern Minnesota town is accused of stealing from a veterans memorial fund.

Ellendale Mayor Roger Swearingen is charged in Steele County with one gross misdemeanor and two misdemeanor counts of theft.

The Times of Blooming Prairie reports Swearingen has not been arrested. He was issued a summons to appear in court Aug. 18.

Swearingen told The Associated Press on Wednesday he had no comment.

According to the complaint, the secretary of the Ellendale American Legion Post discovered Swearingen had been withdrawing cash with only his signature when the secretary's signature also was required.

The complaint says Swearingen told detectives some of the money was for gas to pick up bricks for the project or for his time cleaning the memorial.